TWEENS10 Pen To Paper
by A Rhea King
Summary: Archer spends an afternoon with Porthos. Prank wars, prank wars. Malcolm can hardly wait for his unborn children. Enterprise loses a crewman in a ship accident. Hoshi gets a penpal. Trip gives T'Pol a special gift.
1. Dog Days

Chapter 10 : Pen to Paper  
By A. Rhea King

_Dog Days (1)_

Archer opened his eyes, listening to the silence of his quarters. He could feel Porthos snuggled up against his side. Instead of ordering the Beagle off the bed like he usually did, Archer reached down and petted the Beagle. Porthos let out a low groan before stretching out his full length along Archer's side and rolling onto his back so Archer could rub his belly. Archer looked up at the ceiling, letting his thoughts drift idly. With a heavy sigh Archer decided he should probably get up and at least think about working. He climbed out of bed and pulled on clothes. Archer smiled when Porthos trotted up to him, anxious as usual to head out on their morning walk. Archer stepped out of his quarters and started a stroll down the hall.

"Good morning, Captain," T'Pol's voice said.

Archer turned, watching T'Pol walk up to him. "Morning, T'Pol."

"A message was received from the Trevun government." She handed Archer a PADD.

"What did they want?"

"I do not know. It is addressed only to you."

"Thank you."

T'Pol turned and walked away. Archer started walking as he read the PADD. He smiled, looking down at Porthos.

"How about we do something different for our walk tomorrow, boy?"

Porthos wagged his tail.

#

"Hoshi!" Archer's voice chirped behind her.

Hoshi spun her chair around in surprise, staring wide-eyed at Archer. He grinned.

"Morning, Hoshi," Archer said far more cheerful than usual.

Hoshi forced an uneasy smile and replied, "Good Morning…Captain."

"Open the ship COM." Archer looked at the Menshara class moon hanging in front of them.

"Ready, sir," Hoshi informed him.

"This is your Captain speaking. Put down what you're doing, people." Archer turned, leaning back against the railing. He met Trip's gaze of curiosity with a smile. "As we've been going across the universe we've had very few occasions for shore leave together. A few people here, a few people there. Tomorrow everyone is getting shore leave, except for the twelve unlucky souls that have to stay and run Enterprise. We'll be heading down to the Tervun moon Ezkla for a company picnic and this is casual. If I catch anyone doing work I will personally throw him or her in the lake that we're going to be at. The current temperature of Ezkla is around thirty-three degrees Celsius. The reply I received had an attached note that the lake is warmed by hot springs, ideal for swimming. If anyone can remember where the volleyball and net are, please contact me right away. I also hope that there's someone on this ship with a baseball and bat or football that doesn't mind sharing. And for the poor twelve souls that I've banned to the ship, don't despair. Twelve others will be sent back so that no one misses out. We will start shuttling people down at oh-ten hundred tomorrow so make sure you get as much of your work done today as you possibly can. Archer out."

Hoshi closed the channel. "We really get to have a picnic?" Hoshi asked.

Archer looked back at her. "Yes."

Hoshi grinned, looking at Travis and then Malcolm.

"T'Pol, you pick the first twelve to stay on board. Then pick the twelve that will take their place."

"Shall I designate shuttle pilots?" T'Pol asked.

"Naw. Trip, Travis and I will do the flying."

"Oh thanks!" Trip laughed.

"For that, I should make you one of the twelve." Archer pointed at Trip with the PADD in his hand.

"Insubordination retracted, sir," Trip grinned.

Archer walked to the captain's chair and sat down to begin work.

#

Archer glanced back, making sure no one was watching. He turned and jogged off down the beach with Porthos running alongside. Archer slowed to a walk when he rounded a bend and looked around for a stick. He finally found one and picked it up. Porthos barked, jumping up and down with excitement.

"You want this?" Archer asked him, smiling.

Porthos barked ecstatically.

"Yeah? You do?"

Porthos ran in a circle around Archer, jumping and barking. Archer tossed it into the water. Porthos plunged into the water after it. Archer crouched down, watching him get the stick and swim back. Porthos ran out of the water to Archer and dropped the stick. Archer grabbed it and waved it in front of Porthos. Porthos started barking until he grabbed the stick and began tug-of-war with Archer. Archer laughed when Porthos let it go, making Archer fall back on the sand. Porthos jumped up on him, trying to lick his face.

"Crazy mutt!" Archer pushed Porthos away, sitting up. "Here. Here boy." Archer picked up the stick and tossed it into the water.

Porthos plunged into the water to get the stick.

"Captain."

Archer looked up, finding T'Pol standing behind him.

"Yeah?"

"Sir, I—"

They were both suddenly sprayed with water. Archer laughed, keeping his head turned until the shower stopped. He looked down at Porthos. The Beagle had placed his stick near Archer and was dancing excitedly, waiting expectantly for it to be thrown again.

"Thanks, Port," Archer picked up the stick and threw it out into the water.

Porthos plunged into the lake after it. Archer looked up at T'Pol. She was wiping water off her face but showed no emotion. Archer smiled when she looked at him again.

"Sorry," Archer said.

"You are apologizing for a dog."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"I came to ask if you would like me to pilot the shuttle back with half of the twelve that need to return to relieve the other shift. Commander Tucker is engrossed in a baseball game at the moment and he insists that they must wait until the ninth inning but he cannot tell me when that will be or what inning they are currently in."

Archer smiled. "That's fine."

T'Pol suddenly stepped back and Archer was again sprayed with water. Archer closed his eyes, turning his face into the spray. When it stopped he looked down at Porthos. The Beagle was sitting behind his stick, waiting patiently for Archer to throw it again.

"Ya want something?"

Porthos let out a low howl.

"Yeah? What would you like?"

Porthos let out a low baying howl.

"What? I can't hear you."

Porthos stood, barking once again.

"That's it? That's all you have to say about it?"

Porthos barked several times, his tail wagging harder this time.

"Oh. Okay." Archer picked up the stick and threw it into the water again, watching Porthos race into the water to retrieve it.

"Perhaps you should have asked the Utirians to teach you your canine companion's language so you can better communicate with him," T'Pol commented.

Archer looked up, surprised to find she was still there. "Perhaps."

T'Pol looked out at the lake, watching Porthos swimming back to the shore. She looked down at Archer.

"I shall return to the surface shortly."

"Yeah, whatever."

T'Pol raised her eyebrow when Archer looked away, surprised by how hastily and nonchalantly he had just dismissed her. T'Pol turned and walked away, hearing Archer talking to Porthos and Porthos 'talking back.' T'Pol stopped and looked back when Porthos stopped making sound. Archer was cuddling Porthos to him, talking quietly to him. T'Pol turned and continued walking, wondering if she would ever understand the human's relationship with animals.


	2. A Woman's Scorn

_A Woman's Scorn (2)_

Sherie slid out of the access panel into Trip's quarters. She stood up and ran into his bathroom. Sherie picked up the bottle of aftershave sitting on the back of the sink and opened the bottle. She reached in the shoulder bag she was carrying and pulled out an empty jar that she poured the aftershave into. She closed the jar and pulled out a bottle of perfume and poured it into the aftershave bottle.

"Hope you don't nick yourself until next week, Trip," Sherie murmured. "It could be a painful experience."

Sherie capped the aftershave bottle and ran back to the access panel. She slipped in and pulled the cover shut behind her.

#

Sherie looked up from her book when a bottle of aftershave was sat down between her arms. She smiled up at Trip. The entire mess hall had fallen silent, interested in what was about to happen between the two of them.

"Sir."

"Sherie."

"What's this, sir?" Sherie asked, pointing at the bottle.

"This, I imagine, would be your perfume. And while it does have a rather pleasant scent, I prefer my aftershave. You didn't throw it out, did you? That wouldn't be within the spirit of the game."

"Had I been the one to switch it out, sir, I wouldn't have. I'd have to agree that it wouldn't be within the spirit of the game and would be a waste of good aftershave."

"Great. Maybe by tomorrow, we'll say noon, this bottle could find its way back to my bathroom with my aftershave in it?"

Sherie pretended to be thinking. "Well, if I had been the one to switch it out, that could be a possibility." Sherie looked up at him. "I'll see if I can hunt down the culprit and have this problem alleviated for you, sir."

"You do that, Sherie. You do that."

Trip turned and walked away. Sherie turned back to her book a smug smile.


	3. Anticipation

_Anticipation (3)_

Sista woke feeling pressure on her abdomen. She opened her eyes, looking down. Malcolm was lying on the bed beside her with his ear pressed against her stomach and occasionally he'd put his hand to it when she felt one of the twins kick. Sista smiled, reaching down and stroking his hair. Malcolm didn't move, only smile.

"When did you get back from away mission?" Sista asked.

"A couple hours ago."

"I glad you back."

Malcolm moved closer to her, but kept his ear pressed to her abdomen. "They're quiet today."

"Have for several days. Doctor Phlox checked, say all normal, babies just quiet."

Malcolm moved up the bed to lie next to her. He propped his head up with his hand, smiling at her.

"Did I ever tell you I love you?" Malcolm asked her.

Sista shook her head. "Never."

"Oh. Well, I love you."

Sista reached up and touched his lips. "I love you too."

Malcolm moved around so he could slip under the covers and pull them up over the two of them. Malcolm lay on his back, letting Sista pull close to him and lay her head on his chest. Malcolm reached down, laying his hand on her abdomen.

"Go back to sleep," Malcolm quietly ordered as he drifted to sleep.

Sista lay awake, feeling her unborn children move and listening to her husband breathe.

#

Sista stopped short, putting her hand to her stomach. She looked down at her stomach, patting it.

"Is there a problem?"

Sista looked around to find T'Pol standing there. She smiled. "No. Children are moving this morning. Happy father back."

"You believe your unborn children can tell when their father is around?"

Sista smiled. "Perhaps." Sista put her hands on her stomach, looking down. "They keep kicking now he back. Not move hardly when he away."

T'Pol looked down the hall.

"You want feel?"

T'Pol looked back at Sista, who was watching her expectantly. T'Pol reached toward Sista's abdomen. Sista took her hand and guided it to the spot where she felt one of her babies kicking. Sista looked up at T'Pol, smiling when she felt the Vulcan's wonder that T'Pol expertly masked from her face.

"Is good, yes?"

"It is different." T'Pol let her hand drop.

"One day you feel it in you."

"No."

T'Pol looked down the hall. Sista followed her gaze. Trip was sitting on the floor fixing something and Eartik was sitting next to him, copying Trip's movements even if he wasn't actually fixing anything.

"Trip good with children."

"He is."

"He make good father one day."

T'Pol didn't reply.

"You think no?"

T'Pol looked at Sista. "A Vulcan and human union would not be compatible and I do not foresee such union ever occurring."

Sista smiled, sidling up to T'Pol and meeting her gaze. "You unable lie to me, T'Pol." Sista looked down the hall at Trip. "Much time for you admit lie to self, so no sense talk about now." Sista turned and continued her walk. "Griftlina, T'Pol."

"Griftlina," T'Pol replied

T'Pol let out a soft sigh, looking back at Trip. She continued toward her own destination.


	4. Two For Flinching

_Two For Flinching (4)_

Amanda almost groaned when she heard the door open.

"Amanda," Trip whispered.

Amanda opened her eyes. "Lights. Ten percent," Amanda said.

The lights came up and she found Trip standing by the bunk beds. Trip grinned.

"Thanks." Trip disappeared from her sight. Amanda leaned over the edge of her bunk, watching Trip.

Trip pulled Sherie's hands out from under the covers and spread ink on them. He pulled a feather out of his breast pocket and tickled Sherie's nose. Sherie slapped her nose, smearing ink across her nose. Amanda giggled. Trip tickled Sherie's nose, cheek, chin and forehead. He stood suddenly, winked at Amanda and left.

"Geeze!" Amanda whispered. "Lights, off."

#

"Sir."

Trip turned and cleared his throat to hide his smile. The ink had stained Sherie's skin so that there were light patches of blue where she'd smacked her face when he'd tickled it.

"Yes?"

"These repairs are done," Sherie said, smiling at him.

"Good. Good."

"I'll be down in the bio lab, repairing some circuitry there."

"Okay." Trip cleared his throat.

Sherie turned and walked away, holding her head high to prove he hadn't gotten the best of her. Trip turned back to his work, allowing himself to laugh.


	5. Regrettable Logic

_Regrettable Logic (5)_

Trip turned his arm and activated the monitor on his EV suit sleeve. He picked up a glove, slid it on until the metal rings on the sleeve and glove connected, and with a half twist, and fastened it in place. He tried to fasten his other glove on but the EV glove he just put on was making it near impossible.

"Why are you so impatient today, Trip?" Archer asked. He stepped around Trip, holding his hand out for the glove.

"You know how long it's been since _I've_ gotten to work outside?" Trip grinned.

Archer chuckled, taking his glove and attaching it with a click.

"He's been going on about it for the last two hours, sir," Lieutenant Rueben Walters said.

Rueben's voice made Archer smile. He was from Jamaica, but his accent was more Puerto Rican than Jamaican. The accent stirred memories of the hours Archer and Trip had spent scuba diving around Puerto Rico. Rueben was a dark skinned man and only stood one point five meters high, and that was with a head full of dreadlocks. The dreadlocks were against regulations, but Archer overlooked it. Rueben was one of four remaining members of Trip's 'Miracle Workers' team and had been at Trip's side numerous times, saving _Enterprise_ and the crew time after time in the Expanse. However, unlike the rest of the team, Archer didn't see him excelling to being a senior engineer.

Instead, he saw Rueben becoming a captain one day. In his service record, there was a remark from a previous senior officer that said: 'shows excellent leadership ability.' The remark was right on the nose. Lieutenant Anne Hess had been killed during the first attack in the Expanse and Trip had promoted Rueben to his first in command. Every time Trip had been off ship or injured, Rueben had led the engineers as competently as Trip did. He knew exactly what Archer expected and when everything else was going to hell around him, he never lost his head. Now that they had settled back into exploration, Archer felt comfortable with Trip leaving Rueben in command of engineering when Trip was off ship. Next week was his year review and he planned to promote him, and offer him the chief engineer position under Captain Rameriz — dreadlocks and all. It always pleased him to see one of his crew advance and move on, but it also was sad to know that the good ones wouldn't stay forever.

Another crewman entered the room to help Rueben with his EV suit.

"Then let me say right now, I'm sorry, Rueben" Archer joked.

"Yeh? What for?"

"For sending you out of the ship with a babbling idiot."

"HEY!" Trip retorted.

"You'll have a view when you get out there," the other crewmen told the men. "There's a class nine gas giant to starboard about fifty kilometers off, and an asteroid field twelve kilometers to port."

"It's a good place to avoid company. We'll look like a stray asteroid without the engines online," Archer explained. "It should be a relatively quiet place to make this repair, so take your time. I'd like a hull with fewer holes not more when you're done."

"Cap'n, we're professionals, remember?"

Archer wasn't convinced.

"No dancing in zero-g's either, Trip."

Trip laughed. "Can't. Just'll have Rueben and he's not much of a dance partner."

"I dance well without gravity, man!" Rueben protested. "It's in gravity I don't be dancing so well."

The men laughed.

"You know, sir," Trip said, suddenly serious. "I don't get why that oxygen line blew. That just seems strange."

"Here we go with the conspiracy theories again!" Rueben laughed. "Trip, it ruptured because it was old. Everything on Enterprise is old."

"My ship is not old!" Archer retorted.

Reuben looked at Archer with an ornery gleam in his eye. "I know who it was, Trip. It wasn't an old line or a saboteur. It was a captain. He wanted us to leave so he could plan a mutiny."

"On my own ship?"

"Yeah. Sure." Trip laughed, adding, "Think how easy it will be. Everyone will listen to you as if you were the captain."

Archer rolled his eyes.

"Before I orchestrate a mutiny to take over my own ship, can we get you two outside? Is your oxygen checking out, Trip?" Archer asked as he picked up Trip's helmet.

Trip looked at his arm monitor. "She's green across the board, Major Tom."

Archer had lifted Trip's helmet. He narrowed his eyes making Trip grin. Archer pulled Trip's helmet over his head. Trip started talking, but the helmet muffled it. Once Archer snapped it into place, he grabbed Trip's arm, tapping the external VOX. Trip stopped talking.

"What?" Archer asked.

Trip stuck out his tongue, showing his gum.

Archer glared at him.

"I'm old and senile, sir!"

"Just swallow it. Get off my ship!"

With a shrug, Trip picked up his tool kit and headed for the shuttle pod.

"Hurry up, Rueben! Eric's probably taking a nap and we have to do our alien from Mars bit on him."

Archer looked at Rueben. He was checking his arm monitor again. Rueben walked toward the door but suddenly stopped and turned. He tapped his external VOX.

"See you soon, Cap-tong."

"Tell him I'll be watching him and keep him in line, Rueben."

Rueben gave him a thumbs up and giant smile. He turned, disappearing through the door.

#

Archer sat back with a tired sigh when he finished the last of the month's scheduling. If there was one job he hated as a captain, scheduling was always the first to mind.

"And if they don't like their shifts, tough." Archer smiled as he stood.

He walked out to the bridge and sat down in the captain's chair, reclining back.

"How's the repair coming, T'Pol?"

"They are nearly finished, Captain. Ensign Carter has been having problems with internal sensors on the shuttle pod for the last ten minutes and Commander Tucker's homing beacon is non-functional."

"Wouldn't be normal without some glitches. Any company on sensors, Hoshi?"

"No, sir," Hoshi answered with a quiet laugh.

"Is Trip being a clown?"

"He always is when he gets out there, sir."

"Let's hear it."

"Switching to bridge COM at the Captain's request, Commander," Hoshi informed Trip.

"You ruined my fun, Hoshi!" Trip laughed over the bridge COM. "I'm gonna start callin' ya Ma Hoshi."

"Madre! Trip's throwin' dirty looks at me!" Rueben cried.

"I can't help you from in here," Hoshi told the two men. "You're on your own, Rueben.

"He is telling adult jokes, Cap-tong," Rueben said, faking a smug tone.

"Tattle-tale," Trip jabbed at Rueben.

"It involved a blond with a cerdo, and another with a chorizo, and a bar," Rueben added. "And I'm getting even for you cheating at poker last night, Co-mmander."

"I was just on an unusual lucky streak and you're jealous, Rueben."

"Green with envy, Co-mmander, yeah? It's turning my skin hard and golden colored."

"Rueben, that's your EV suit."

"Oh? Is that what that is, man? I thought I was turning into Roboman."

Archer chuckled. "How's the joke go, Trip?"

"Well, ya see, these two blondes walk into this bar, one's naked and carrying a sausage, and the other's carrying a pig—" Trip started.

"Commander," Ensign Carter interrupted, "now I'm showing a warning light on the engine." There was audible frustration in his voice.

"So fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry. So fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, fix it!" Trip sung.

"Cute, sir," Eric retorted, but he didn't sound very amused.

Trip sighed. "You're too young to be forgetting how to have fun, Eric!

Ensign Carter didn't reply.

"Moving to the last welding spot, Rueben," Trip said. "You almost done?"

"Nearly, sir," Rueben answered.

"Sir, uhm, there's another warning light," Eric reported. "I swear I am gonna scrap this stupid shuttle pod, sir. She is the most cantankerous and temperamental piece of equipment on Enterprise!"

"Oh, just give her a good sound slap upside the navigation controls and a solid kick under the helm. Fixes her right up," Trip jokingly ordered.

Archer's humor faded. "What are the warning lights on, Eric?"

"This second one is reading a CO2 build-up, but the filter isn't showing red and I just verified with a scanner that there isn't any build-up. The other warning says there's a malfunction with the engine ignition."

"Is the engine running?"

"It's idle, sir."

"It's just a malfunction, Cap'n," Trip said. "All the systems on shuttle pod two are flaky. You know that, sir."

"That entire shuttle pod is a malfunction," Malcolm said quietly.

Archer smiled. "Malcolm has once again expressed his belief that shuttle pod two is ill-fated, so let's check those warnings out to ease his mind, okay, Eric?"

"I agree with Lew-tenant Reed, Cap-tong. Beat ya, Co-mmander!" Rueben laughed.

"Only cuz you had the easy side! Go help Eric scare the ghosts out of the machine."

"Perhaps I should help you, since you are old and slow, Co-mmander."

"Beat it, punk!"

Rueben's laughter made them all smile. "Very well. I'll be sitting in comfort in the shuttle pod while you are still welding, old man."

"Why I oughta…" Trip laughed.

"Threats. That's all you're good for, Co-mmander."

There was a brief silence.

"Eric, open the hatch," Rueben said. "I need the latrine!"

"There's a mental image we could have all done without, Rueben!" Hoshi laughed.

"Finally! I made Madre Hoshi laugh."

Hoshi shook her head. "When don't you make me laugh, Rueben?"

"Hold on. I think I found one problem. It's interfering with the hatch control so let me fix it real fast," Eric told Rueben.

"You don't see stars like this inside, Co-mmander," Rueben said.

"They are gorgeous," Trip agreed.

"Someday—" Rueben started.

"RUEBEN, ATTACH ON!" Eric yelled.

A loud explosion thundered out of the speakers.

"OH SHIT!" Trip yelled.

"Hoshi, get me a visual," Archer ordered as he rose to his feet.

The view screen changed in time to see fire burst between the engine and the shuttle pod as the engine was ejected. The engine exploded suddenly, rocking _Enterprise_ with the shockwave.

Rueben, waiting outside with his safety lead carabineer still in hand, was sent spinning head over heel toward the gas giant. The shuttle pod was sent careening toward the asteroid field.

"CAP-TONG!" Rueben screamed across the COM.

"We're hustling, Rueben. Travis, get a grapple on the shuttle pod. Hoshi, get someone to the transporter to get Trip and then Rueben, and try to raise Ensign Carter."

Hoshi and Travis quickly obeyed.

"It's moving away too fast. I can't get it sittin' still, sir," Travis said.

"Hurry, Hoshi."

"Lieutenant Nelson is en route to the transporter," Hoshi said. "Ensign Carter isn't responding to hails."

"CAP-TONG!" Rueben screamed again.

"Go after Rueben as soon as we have Trip, Travis. Rueben, is your jet pack working?"

"No! The controls aren't functioning. Hurry, Cap-tong!"

"We're hurrying, Rueben."

"Nelson to bridge."

"Bridge here," Hoshi replied.

"There's too much plasma discharge where Commander Tucker is. I can't get a lock."

"T'Pol, where is the shuttle and Rueben?" Archer asked.

"Lieutenant Walters is twenty kilometers to starboard and the shuttle pod is five kilometers to port."

"Trip, cut loose."

"Okay."

"Belay that order, Commander," T'Pol said.

"I don't have time for this, T'Pol. Trip, cut loose," Archer ordered.

"Belay that order, Commander," T'Pol said. "Captain—"

"T'POL I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" Archer yelled at her. "Trip, do as your ordered!"

"Aye, sir."

"Commander, if you cut loose we will not be able to recover you," T'Pol said.

"Wh-Why?" Trip asked her.

"Your homing beacon is still malfunctioning as you reported when you first left the shuttle pod." T'Pol looked at Archer. "We would never find Commander Tucker if he cuts loose."

A chill ran went straight to Archer's bones. He'd almost killed his best friend.

"Trip, get your ass to a hatch on the double," Archer ordered.

"On my way, sir."

"Ensign Sato, turn off the bridge COM," T'Pol ordered Hoshi. "Continue talking to Lieutenant Walters."

"Aye, ma'am. Rueben?" Hoshi said, "They're working on it, Rueben. Talk to me. Don't stop talking to me."

Archer turned to Travis. "Go after Rueben as soon as Trip's on board."

Travis almost commented that Archer had already given him that command, but instead replied, "Aye, sir."

"We cannot save both men, Captain," T'Pol informed Archer.

"The hell I can't!"

"Captain, you can only save one. You won't have time to go after both."

Malcolm glanced at T'Pol and Archer. He pulled up the data T'Pol was looking at and began doing calculations of his own.

"I am saving both of my men, T'Pol! Travis, prepare—"

Trip's voice broke over the COM, "I'm onboard. Go after them. I'm heading for the transporter"

Malcolm paled at the results of his calculations.

"Travis, go after—"

"T'Pol's wrong, sir," Malcolm said.

T'Pol turned to check her readings again.

"As I already guessed. Travis, go after Rue—"

"If we attempt to save Rueben, you will save no one," Malcolm added.

Everyone looked at Malcolm.

Malcolm looked up from his computer, holding Archer's eyes. "He's traveling at three times the velocity of the shuttle pod. By the time we reach him, the shuttle pod will be in the asteroid field if not impacted with a larger asteroid. They'll both be dead."

T'Pol re-examined the information.

Archer wasn't about to believe either of them. "You two are wro—"

"We're sitting still, the engines were just brought online, we can't go straight to impulse right now. By the time we get to Rueben, the atmosphere pressure will have finished him. But if we go after Carter, right now, we can save him."

"You're wrong!"

"He's correct, Captain." T'Pol said.

Archer looked at the two. They had to be wrong.

"Sir, would I tell you this if it weren't true? I don't want Rueben to die either. Rueben is a hell of an Engineer, and losing him will be a great loss, Captain, but we cannot save them both. Only one and that one is Carter and we have to hurry."

Archer closed his eyes. Violent nausea washed over him. He was not sitting in front of either Malcolm or T'Pol's monitors. He couldn't see what they were seeing. No matter how much he wished they weren't telling him the truth, he knew they were.

Archer opened his eyes, pulling his arms behind his back. "Travis, retrieve our shuttle pod and Ensign Carter. Hoshi, ask Doctor Phlox to stand by at shuttle bay two."

Travis turned _Enterprise_ to port and went after the shuttle pod. Archer sat down, hiding his mounting grief behind a calm mask.

Hoshi reached up and muted the COM. She looked back at Archer, almost whispering, "Captain, what do I tell Rueben? He's about to enter the gravitational pull of the planet and he's scared." Hoshi hastily wiped a tear off her cheek

Archer swallowed hard. "He has the right to know that…that he's going to die."

Hoshi started crying. She whimpered, "I can't tell him that, sir."

"I'll tell him. Put him on the bridge COM, Hoshi."

Hoshi reached up and touched the button.

"…and I'm not seeing a ship coming for me, Hoshi."

"Rueben," Archer said.

"Cap-tong, help me!"

Archer started to speak but he found he couldn't find his voice. He swallowed and tried again, but his voice had abandoned him.

"Lieutenant Walters," T'Pol said.

She stood and walked around her console to stand behind Travis.

"T'Pol, what the _hell_ is going on!?"

"Rueben—"

"YOU'RE USING MY NAME, T'POL!?" Rueben's yelling made his transmission cut out. "YOU NEVER USE MY NAME. I CAN'T BE SAVED, CAN I!?"

"No, Rueben," T'Pol admitted quietly.

There was a long silence, filled only by the sound of Rueben's shaking breathing and sobs. Suddenly he collected himself. His breathing steadied and then he cleared his throat.

"Oh. Well… At least I'm not flying through space wondering anymore," Rueben joked, laughing nervously. "Think a school or library will be named after me? Imagine it, yeah? Rueben Walters Library, or Rueben Walters Elementary. Maybe my hijo will go to it. What do you think, Co-mmander?"

#

At the transporter Trip had his communication headgear still on and had been listening to the conversation. He reached down and turned on his microphone. Lieutenant Nelson stood nearby. She was openly concerned.

"Maybe," Trip whispered. "Wouldn't be too All-American like if they didn't, would it? I'll put a request in to Starfleet first thing."

"Mañana, yeah?"

"Yeah. Mañana, Rueben. Mañana."

"I'm sorry, Rueben," Archer said over the COM. "I am so sorry."

"Don't be. When Dios calls, we go."

Trip closed his eyes tight, throwing his headgear across the hall. He slid to the floor, covering his face. Trip shook with a racking sob. Lieutenant Nelson sat down next to him, putting her arm around him.

#

"Hoshi, querida?" Rueben asked.

Hoshi forced a smile. She hastily wiped her tears away. "Does your wife know you call me dear all the time?"

"Nada," Rueben forced a laugh. "She doesn't know. Are you getting a video feed from my helmet sensor?"

"No."

"Turn it on. Let's not make this a total waste, yeah? I can give T'Pol some up close and personal pictures of a class nine gas giant."

"That is not necessary, Rueben," T'Pol said.

Archer ordered in a whisper, "Humor a dead man, T'Pol."

"However, the images could prove beneficial," T'Pol said.

"Starting capture," Hoshi informed him.

"Shuttle pod two is within range," Travis whispered to Archer.

"Get it and then head for the planet," Archer whispered back.

"Are you saving Eric?" Rueben asked.

"Yes," Archer replied.

"Bueno. His esposa y madre will appreciate that. His madre was worried about him when he told her he was leaving. Hoshi?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell Monica, okay? Don't wait. She's real scared to be alone, see, and if she knows, then she can get done being sad and find a good husband. Maybe a lawyer or surgeon, or some guy that won't run off to the stars on her. I want that for her. You tell her I expect to find her with some other man when I visit from heaven."

Hoshi closed her eyes, starting to cry. "I promise, Rueben. What should I tell Naldo?"

Rueben began wheezing. "Tell mí hijo… Tell him I'll be watching him with his abuelo, I'll be at every soccer game. Tell him…" Rueben coughed, whimpering. "Tell him… I love him. And take care of his madre y abuela."

"I'll tell him."

"Shuttle pod two captured and recovered," Travis said out loud. "Coming about."

"These colors are amazing!" Rueben said. "You see this, T'Pol? Ever seen a purple cloud before?"

"Put the capture on screen," T'Pol ordered Hoshi.

The view screen changed to Reuben's EV helmet's visual feed. He was passing a cloud colored purple and red.

"It's pretty," Hoshi said.

"It is unique," T'Pol commented.

"Now I know what the trash feels like in the compactor." Rueben tried to laugh. He was the only one that did. "It was an honor to serve with you, Cap-tong Archer. With all of you."

"The honor has been ours." Archer looked up at the view screen.

Rueben gasped and let out a whimper of pain. "Hoshi, keep Malcolm from premiado y hurgón juegio."

"Sí," Hoshi replied.

"Adiós."

"No! Rueben, stay on," Hoshi begged.

"Rueben, don't terminate the communication," Archer ordered. "Keep talking to us."

"Capitán, mí nada—"

"Rueben, no," Archer said. "Stay on. As long as you can, stay on."

"Por favor perdonar mí, Capitán Arquero. Adiós. Rueben fuera."

"NO!" Hoshi and Archer said at the same time.

Silence followed. On the view screen the visual continued to record until there was a bright flash of light and then it went to static.

"Turn it off, Hoshi," Archer said quietly.

The transmission wasn't cut. Archer looked at her. She was holding her stomach, doubled over and sobbing. Archer knew he should do something, but he was too numb to move. He watched as Malcolm walked past him to Hoshi. He gently guided Hoshi from her chair and the left the bridge. T'Pol walked to Hoshi's station and ended the video capture. She looked down at Travis.

"Mr. Mayweather, are you capable of piloting still?"

"Yes, ma'am." Travis looked up at her.

"We need to scan the planet's atmosphere."

Archer looked down at his helmsmen. Travis was crying silent tears. Perhaps he was holding it together until he could be alone in the 'sweet spot' and then he'd fell apart. But waiting seemed wrong, somehow.

"Are we within transporter range, Mr. Mayweather?" T'Pol asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do you detect anything?"

"No."

T'Pol reached out and touched a companel. "T'Pol to Commander Tucker."

There was a long pause, but T'Pol waited.

"What?" Trip said, his voice giving away he was crying.

"There is nothing to transport. Perhaps you should check that there was no damage in the lower sections. As I suspect that will take all day. Lieutenant Nelson can take command of engineering for the day."

"Whatever," Trip said.

T'Pol tapped the companel and turned back to Travis. "Mr. Mayweather, take us to the third planet of this system and put us into geosynchronous orbit."

"Aye, ma'am."

T'Pol looked back at Archer. He met her gaze. He knew he should say something, give her an order, but nothing came to mind. His mind was completely blank.

"The crew should be informed of this event, Captain."

Archer stared at her. Informed? Of what event? Was he supposed to tell them that Rueben had survived the Expanse only to be killed in an explosion that probably could have been prevented? He had to blame someone. Was it Trip's fault? Lieutenant Nelson that had transported Trip? Someone was to blame, weren't they? Wasn't there someplace to put the blame? Why was he feeling so guilty if it was someone else's fault?

"I can make the announcement if you would prefer."

Archer's mind grew still. There wasn't anyone to blame. That shuttle pod had been Rueben's responsibility. He was in charge of it and he himself had gone over it yesterday. He did everything he could to make that stupid shuttle pod safe, and it fought back with system malfunctions and failing parts. How many times had Rueben fought with Archer to keep any crewmen from taking it? He was as convinced as Malcolm that it had been doomed, he felt there was something he was overlooking that kept it so temperamental.

In the end he was right, wasn't he? The shuttle was unsafe and all his attempts to keep it from killing other crewmen had turned on him. The shuttle pod had finally got what it wanted: a human life.

Rage began to build up in Archer, burning his mind with the images and Rueben's voice. Rueben's life was going to be the last life that shuttle pod _ever_ took. Today it would die.

"I have to take care of something. You have the bridge, T'Pol." Archer stormed off the bridge.

#

Trip had lain on his bed for several hours after his tears had dried, debating on what was supposed to happen. It was as if his brain had simply stopped processing any thoughts. And then, suddenly, he had to find Archer, to be near someone he trusted and who would understand his loss. So he'd set out to find him and had been searching for an hour. He'd bumped into a crewman that thought Archer had said he was headed to the shuttle bay.

Quietly the crewman had added, "He was pretty drunk, Commander. It was hard to understand him, so I may have heard it wrong, but I think he said he was going to kill something."

Drunk wasn't normal for Archer. In all the years Trip had known Archer, he'd only seen him drunk twice. The second time was off of alien liquor that was much stronger than they'd been told. The first time Trip had stopped by his house after a funeral and found Archer had consumed a pint of Vodka and had plans to pass out before a second pint was finished. Trip wondered if it had been the person's death that had made him behave so carelessly, but he never asked. He just crashed at Archer's apartment to make sure he didn't do anything stupid while he was drunk.

Trip stepped into the shuttle bay, glaring at the shuttle pod that had killed Rueben. Even though the shuttle pod didn't care about the angry emotion cast at it, it was good to have something to blame.

"Piece of shit," Trip hissed at it as he walked around to the side hatch.

He was surprised to find the hatch open and the floor around it littered with part. Panels, wires and circuit boards littered the area. Some had been hacked out, the components attached to them shattered. Whoever had done this, hadn't cared much about who was going to have to put it back together.

Inside something crashed followed by muffled cursing. Trip pulled back two steps when a chair flew out of the door and hit the wall. More crashing and audible cursing followed. Trip inched closer to the door, half expecting the person inside to come flying out and attack him.

"Getting ssstubborn won't ssssave you, you worthless piece of sssshit!" he heard Archer hiss.

Trip slowly stepped into the shuttle pod, staring at the floor. Circuit boards, wires, pieces of the consoles, the chairs, monitors, were strewn across the floor. He looked up in time to see a console board flying at him and leapt back. The console crashed into the back, cutting through exposed wires that erupted in a shower of sparks. He looked toward the front, seeing a pair of legs, assumingly Archer's, under the helm.

ZZZZT!

"OW! BITCH!" Archer snarled.

Archer was drunk, the slur and profanity proved it. Trip approached Archer, watching as Archer's hands came and went from view, each time full of wires. There was a loud ZZZT! Archer's hands appeared full of wires. He tossed them out from under the helm.

Trip's toe hit something and he looked down when glass clinked against metal. He stared at the two empty bottles of whiskey lying on the floor amid the rubble.

"Sir?" Trip said, looking up.

"Hand me that ax."

Trip looked up. Archer was pointing at an ax just out of reach. Trip picked it up and placed the handle into Archer's hand. Archer started hacking at something.

"Sir, what are you doing?"

"Taking this fucking board out."

"I meant, sir, why have you completely torn this shuttle pod apart?"

"It's not getting away with murder!"

Trip looked down at the pilot's seat sitting against the wall on its side. Large gashes were cut across the vinyl and most of the stuffing had been ripped out. Trip sat down on it, leaning forward on his legs.

"You're pretty loaded, aren't you, Jonathan?"

If he yelled at Trip for calling him Jonathan, he'd know he was.

"DON'T CALL ME JONATHAN! It's sir or captain, Commander!"

Trip nodded. A circuit board flew out from under helm.

"About got everything out of there?" Trip asked.

"No. I just started under here. I finished the back though."

Trip looked at the back. Finished was an understatement. It was only frame and wires back there, everything else had been ripped out. Trip looked at his hands.

"We're going to have a memorial tomorrow morning, at oh-nine-hundred. You should probably get some sleep so you're not hung over too bad for it."

"I'm not drunk. I'm still sitting."

Trip looked at the ceiling, a tear sliding down his face. "Why did he have to die like this? I mean…after everything we went through and all those close calls he survived… Why did today have to be the day he died? Why did it have to be with us?"

"Because this fucking shuttle pod is a fucking murderer! He was worried it was going to kill someone, just like Malcolm. He was right. I never listened to him. I should have killed this fucking shuttle pod a long time ago."

Trip smiled, nodding. "You never listen to any engineer as well as you should, sir."

There was a short laugh from under the helm. "Yeah, well, this is what I get for it."

"It's not your fault. This isn't anyone's fault."

"It's the shuttle pod's fault! It killed him!"

"It really isn't sentient, you know."

"I don't care. Whatever is wrong with it, it won't be when I'm done with it."

Trip smiled again. Archer had that part right. When he was done with it, Trip doubted that even the emergency lights would come on. Trip adjusted his seat. He looked down when his toe tapped something. It was a crescent wrench, a large, heavy one, far larger than was needed for most work on the shuttle pod. Trip picked it up, turning it over in his hand. He stood, staring down at the navigation console that was still standing. Suddenly, without a sound, he started beating the navigation console with the wrench.

"That's the spirit!" Archer encouraged.

Trip stopped, smiling. He picked up a toolbox and climbed under the helm with Archer.

Archer was trying to unfasten screws that held a circuit board in place with just his fingers. Trip pulled out a screwdriver and handed it to him. Archer took it. Trip picked up a wrench and started undoing screws on a panel overhead.

"It really is a piece of crap shuttle, isn't it, Cap'n?" Trip asked.

"Yeah. It is. I've always hated this shuttle. Never rode well, environmental controls were always off five degrees, and the rehydrator always made the food too dry or too wet."

"Rueben would have enjoyed this."

"I'm sure he would have. So let's make sure she's good and dead before we leave."

Both stared when T'Pol slid under the helm next to Trip. She picked up a socket wrench, tried a few sockets on a set of bolts holding a panel on, and started taking it apart. She looked at them.

"I overheard your conversation. If you wish it not to be in service when you're done, another pair of hands could assist."

"The more the merrier," Archer grunted.

The three went back to killing Rueben's murderer.


	6. Calling Occupants

_Calling Occupants (6)_

Hoshi let out a long slow sigh and then she looked back over her shoulder. Archer and T'Pol were working in the situation room. Trip had left to go to engineering over an hour ago, taking his bag of jokes and tall tales with him. Malcolm hadn't been on the bridge all day. Travis was busy doing something she couldn't make out from her chair. She had completed her work and had five hours of her shift to kill. Hoshi sat back, looking up at the view screen. Days like today tempted her to tell Archer she didn't have enough to do since she'd divided up her work between Sista and Ensign Shipper, but that would only mean he'd pile more work on them and both had begged, pleaded and threatened her to keep her mouth shut.

Hoshi reached under her console and picked up a tennis ball she kept there. She reached out and started the computer scanning frequencies and then sat back in her chair, slowly tossing the ball from hand to hand. She closed her eyes, letting her mind drift to daydreams. The sound of a voice on a frequency made Hoshi open her eyes. She reached out and stopped the scan. Hoshi began going back through the frequencies one at a time, pausing a few seconds to listen for the sound she'd heard. She finally found it and leaned forward in her chair, closing her eyes while she listened. It was apparent right away that it was a voice and language she'd never heard before. Hoshi rolled her chair up to the console and started the translator. She began translating the language with the bits and pieces the translator was starting to translate. It was clear right away that the language wasn't much more complicated than Russian.

The translator repeated a segment in English, "…out there?"

Hoshi's tilted her head to the side a little, listening for the voice. Now was stopping every so often so it was hard to tell if she'd heard the translation correctly and all of a sudden the translator displayed entire sentences.

"Calling occupants of interplanetary craft. This is Major Oodahau. Respond!" the voice said playfully.

Hoshi smiled, leaning forward.

The translator continued with the next sentences, "Blue squadron flank left and shoot the enemy ships down. Red squadron, flank right. Don't forget to take out the, uhm…the…radeon vasculator deployer. That's an order!"

Hoshi laughed a little, suspecting she was listening to a child's play battle since there were not 'ships' or 'pilots' replying back to the orders.

"Sergeant Partikel, bring the men around to the front. Surround them and deploy the…destruction blossom. Take us to warp ten, Cox Omao! Let's see that enemy ship keep up with us now!"

Hoshi chuckled. Now she knew she was listening to a child playing. To her knowledge no alien race had warp ten. Hoshi listened to more of the translation until she was sure she had enough to reply back.

"Hello Major Oodahau," Hoshi said.

There was a long pause, but Hoshi waited. If her suspicion that the voice belonged to a child was correct, then her replying most likely surprised him.

"Hello?" the voice asked.

"Hello. Who is this?" Hoshi asked.

"Oodahau. Who are you?"

"Hoshi."

"That's a strange name."

Hoshi smiled. "I guess we both have an opinion in common then."

"I'm not really a major. Will you still talk to me?"

Hoshi's eyes narrowed. "Of course I will. How old are you?"

"Nine."

Hoshi smiled, nodding. Her suspicion was correct.

"How old are you?" Oodahau asked.

"Thirty-two."

"That's old."

Hoshi chuckled.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" Oohdahau asked.

"That noise?"

"What noise?"

"You made a noise."

Hoshi thought a minute. She chuckled again. "That noise?"

"Yes."

"That's laughing."

"What's laughing?" Oodahau asked.

"Uhm…" Hoshi thought. "Well, it's what we do when we find something fun or amusing."

There was a pause.

"Hoshi," someone whispered.

Hoshi looked around, finding Archer standing at the railing.

"Who are you talking to?" he asked.

Hoshi shrugged. She tapped the mute button on her console. "I don't know, yet. He's nine though so I haven't gotten very far yet."

"Nine?"

"That's what he said."

"Hoshi?" Oodahau asked.

Hoshi turned her microphone back on. "Yeah?"

"Where'd you go?"

"I was talking to my captain."

"You're on a ship?" Oodahau asked excitedly.

"Yes. Are you?"

"Yes."

"What's your ship's name?"

"Darpitak," Oodahau stated proudly.

"What does that mean?"

"I dunno. Am I getting you in trouble?"

"No." Hoshi smiled. "Not at all."

"Put it on COM," Archer told her.

Hoshi looked at him as Oodahau asked, "What's your ship's name?"

"Can you wait a second, Oodahau?"

"Yeah."

Hoshi hit the mute button. "Sir, I'm not sure what's going on yet."

"I wanna hear the kid," Archer insisted.

"Okay. Just a second, sir," Hoshi hit the must switch. "Oodahau?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to talk to my captain?"

"I thought you weren't in trouble."

"I'm not."

"Then why do I have to talk to him?"

"I…he wants to talk to you."

"Why?"

"We like to meet new people."

"What are people?"

"Well…us."

"What are you?"

"Hoshi," Archer said.

Hoshi motioned Archer to wait as she answered Oodahau, "We're humans."

"What's your ship's name?"

"Enterprise," Hoshi answered.

"Hoshi," Archer said again.

"Do I have to talk to him? I wanna talk to you."

Hoshi smiled. "You don't have to talk to him this time if you don't want to."

"Hoshi," Archer growled.

"Good. Do you draw?"

"Yes."

"Hoshi!" Archer snapped.

Hoshi glanced at Archer, answering Oodahau, "Yeah."

"You do?"

"Yes."

"What do you like to draw?"

"Lots of things."

Archer reached out and hit the bridge COM button. Hoshi tried to block his hand but he was faster. She clenched her jaw a moment.

"I like to draw trees. We have lots at home," Oodahau told Hoshi.

"Where's that?" she asked.

"Where's what?"

"Your home?"

"Oh, uhm…a ways away. We've been gone from it for a long time."

"Why's that?" Hoshi asked him.

"My dad has to check on things. It's his job."

"Is your dad the captain?"

"Yes. He tells people what to do."

Hoshi smiled. "Captains do that, don't they?" She wrinkled her nose at Archer when he looked up at her.

Archer smiled.

"My dad does that to everyone. It's his job."

"Is he there right now?"

"No. He's asleep."

"Oh. Does he know you're talking to me?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. As long as he knows."

"What are humans?"

"Me. Me and the rest of the crew on Enterprise. Well, most of us anyway."

"Most of us?"

"Yes."

"Your crew isn't all one kind of thing?"

"Species. We call beings that look like humans species."

"Species. Well? Are there other species on your ship?"

"Yes. We have a Vulcan, a Denobulan and a few Jit."

"Hoshi," Archer whispered.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"I heard a voice."

"There's others working here."

"Can they hear me?"

Archer held up his hand to Hoshi before she replied. He shook his head. Hoshi frowned.

"No," Hoshi lied. "But sometimes people can hear them when I'm talking."

"Oh. What do humans look like?"

"Well, we walk around on two legs and feet. And, uhm—"

"Have you ever met a Lanigiro before?"

"No."

"What about a Yonna?"

"No. Never met one of those either."

"That's good. They're bad."

"Are they?"

"Yeah. Dad has to keep them out because they come around and start killing Lanigiro on the outposts. He has to post Lanigiro out there so that they can watch over things but sometimes the Yonna get past the outposts and dad has to send Lanigiro to fight them."

"Oh. Sounds like your dad gets pretty busy."

"Yeah. He does. But he's a good dad. I love him."

"I love mine too."

"You have a dad? Does he live on your ship?"

"No. He lives on the planet I come from."

"Where's that?"

"Don't answer that," Archer whispered to Hoshi.

"It's a long ways away."

"What it's called?"

"I ca—"

"I have to go! Bye!"

The channel went silent.

"Oodahau?" Hoshi asked.

There was no reply. She looked at the monitor and sighed. "He's gone."

"Until you know who this kid is and why he's talking without anyone watching him, you don't tell him anything, Hoshi."

"Yes, sir," Hoshi said.

"I mean it, Hoshi."

"I know. I won't, sir."

"How'd you find him, anyway?"

"He was commanding a play battle on this frequency and I just started talking to him, sir." Hoshi looked at Archer.

"Find out more about him. I'm curious to know who these Yonna and Lanigiro are and who his dad is."

"Aye, sir."

Archer walked back to the situation room. Hoshi sighed, sitting back in her chair. She mulled over the conversation, wondering who the child was.


	7. The Captain's Familiar

_The Captain's Familiar (7)_

Trip pressed Archer's ready room doorbell and waited. There was no answer.

Trip turned to T'Pol. "You know where the Cap'n is?"

"In his ready room," T'Pol answered.

Trip turned and pressed the button again. The door slid open and Trip stepped in, opening his mouth to speak but only able to stare. Archer smiled innocently at Trip. Porthos was standing on the back of Archer's chair, pulling on Archer's collar and growling. Porthos let go and leapt to the floor, running up to greet Trip.

"Am I interrupting?" Trip asked.

"Naw. We were just discussing…" Archer snatched up a PADD. "Schedules!"

Trip looked down at Porthos sitting at his feet. "You weren't discussing much of anything, were ya boy?"

Porthos barked.

"You were discussing how you actually had this lazy old man whipped, huh?" Trip sat the PADDs he'd brought in on Archer's desk.

Porthos barked.

Trip looked at Archer. "Cap'n, fess up. He had you whipped, didn't he?"

"We were discussing the finer points of tug of war. Somehow my collar became the tug toy."

"Ah." Trip smiled down at Porthos. "You just keep him in line, okay Port? He needs that so this cap'n gig doesn't go to his head."

Porthos jumped up on Trip's leg. Trip crouched down and tugged on Porthos' tail. Porthos spun, snapping at Trip's hand. He caught Trip's thumb and gently held it as he pulled back on it. Trip pulled back and Porthos latched onto Trip's sleeve, shaking it as hard as he could. Trip laughed, gently rapping the dog's head with his knuckles.

"Get 'im," Trip pointed to Archer, "get 'im Port!"

Porthos spun and jumped onto Archer's lap. With his front paws on Archer's chest, he leaned as far forward as he could to lick Archer's face.

"PORT STOP!" Archer laughed, pushing him back.

Archer and Porthos both looked up when the door of his ready room opened, watching Trip leave. Porthos looked back at Archer and then fell against him, pressing as hard as he could against his master.

"Spoiled dog," Archer said with a smile. He hugged Porthos, scratching around the dog's collar.

Porthos let out a low howl, looking up at Archer. Archer began scratching his ear and Porthos lay down on his lap. Archer picked Porthos up and returned to his desk and work that Porthos had torn him away from. Porthos curled up on Archer's lap and went to sleep.


	8. Amubsh

_Ambush (8)_

Malcolm looked around when someone reached out and snatched his arm. He stumbled into the joint hall; surprised to find Sherie was the person that had grabbed him.

"My advice to you, sir, is not to use the sleeping back with the green zipper. And make sure no one else but Trip uses it. Just a suggestion, sir."

"Malcolm," Archer called from down the hall.

"I'll make note of it, Ensign." Malcolm ran to catch up with Trip and Archer.

#

"Up and at 'em," Archer said.

"Just ten more minutes," Trip murmured.

"Come on. We got work to do. Get up! Archer ordered.

Trip looked over at Archer. He was already dressed and putting on his boots. "We should go fishing."

Archer shot a smirk at Trip. "Get up."

Trip reached up and pulled on the zipper. It didn't budge. Trip tugged on it several times.

"Get up, Trip," Archer ordered.

Trip let his head drop back. "I can't."

Archer zipped up his uniform and knelt on one knee. "Why not?"

"The zipper is stuck," Trip looked at Archer. "Oddly enough."

Archer knelt down beside him and tired to pull the zipper loose. It wouldn't budge. He leaned closer, seeing a clear shiny substance surrounding the top of the zipper. He sat back, smirking.

"This has been glued shut. Looks like thread lock glue too. The kind that only sets after the teeth or grooves connect. Too bad this isn't a regular sleeping bag, Trip, you could just wiggle right out of it."

"I am gonna get _so_ even with her."

Archer stood up. "You get to sleep in after all, Trip. C-ya!"

"No, Cap'n. Cap'n!" Trip called, watching Archer leave the tent. "CAP'N!" Archer didn't return. "ARCHER! _JONATHAN ARCHER_!"

Archer stood outside laughing. Malcolm was sitting on the ground laughing with Ensign Cutler leaning against him holding her stomach from her own laughter.

"You were right. She did something. Thread lock glue," Archer told Malcolm.

"What do you propose we do now?"

"We need to get up that mountain before noon. Best get to hiking."

"You're going to leave him like that, are you?" Malcolm asked.

"Ensign Johnson had a good view when I brought it up with her. These two are the ones choosing to keep this going. If they want to keep it going, we should really let them kill each other. He'll figure some way out of it. Let's go."

Behind them Trip yelled, "I AM DISOWNING YOU AS MY FRIEND JONATHAN ARCHER!"

The three didn't stop walking.

To My Sunshine (9)

T'Pol looked at her door when the doorbell beeped. She stood, turning to face it.

"Come in."

Trip walked in with his hands held behind his back.

"Hello," Trip said, smiling at her.

"Good evening."

"Everything go well with the scientists?"

"Yes. Everything did. Did you enjoy visiting the city?" T'Pol asked.

"It was nice. Real nice aliens." Trip walked up to her, standing close. "Close your eyes."

T'Pol didn't obey.

Trip's grin turned boyish. "Will you pretty please close your eyes for me, Miss T'Pol?"

T'Pol obeyed with an irritated sigh.

"Hold out your hand."

T'Pol held her hand out and she felt Trip fasten something around her wrist. T'Pol opened her eyes, staring at the fine gold chain decorated with tiny rubies he'd fastened around her wrist.

"I thought…" Trip reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, doesn't matter what I thought. Just decided you needed it."

T'Pol lifted her wrist, turning the bracelet around it.

Trip grinned. "You always said that of all the gems out there, fire rubies were your favorite. Course, you gave me all sorts of practical reasons, but—"

"I didn't think that you would remember something so trivial."

"I have my moments, T'Pol," Trip said, and then added quietly. "Besides, nothing you like is trivial to me."

T'Pol looked up into Trip's eyes. Yes. Trip had some glorious moments that even she, a Vulcan, was surprised by.

"I love you." Trip leaned forward and gently kissed her cheek. "Good-night."

Trip turned. He stopped, looking back when T'Pol grabbed his hand.

"Thank you for remembering," T'Pol said, and then smiled.

Trip smiled. He moved back to her, laying his hand on her neck. "I love that free sunshine."

Trip leaned down and kissed her lips. He smiled when he looked in her eyes, running his thumb across her lips. He let his fingers drift gently across her cheek and then left. T'Pol looked at her bracelet, watching the shards of red light the rubies cast on her skin. She turned and sat down in front of her monitor to return to reading letters.


	9. To My Sunshine

_To My Sunshine (9)_

T'Pol looked at her door when the doorbell beeped. She stood, turning to face it.

"Come in."

Trip walked in with his hands held behind his back.

"Hello," Trip said, smiling at her.

"Good evening."

"Everything go well with the scientists?"

"Yes. Everything did. Did you enjoy visiting the city?" T'Pol asked.

"It was nice. Real nice aliens." Trip walked up to her, standing close. "Close your eyes."

T'Pol didn't obey.

Trip's grin turned boyish. "Will you pretty please close your eyes for me, Miss T'Pol?"

T'Pol obeyed with an irritated sigh.

"Hold out your hand."

T'Pol held her hand out and she felt Trip fasten something around her wrist. T'Pol opened her eyes, staring at the fine gold chain decorated with tiny rubies he'd fastened around her wrist.

"I thought…" Trip reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, doesn't matter what I thought. Just decided you needed it."

T'Pol lifted her wrist, turning the bracelet around it.

Trip grinned. "You always said that of all the gems out there, fire rubies were your favorite. Course, you gave me all sorts of practical reasons, but—"

"I didn't think that you would remember something so trivial."

"I have my moments, T'Pol," Trip said, and then added quietly. "Besides, nothing you like is trivial to me."

T'Pol looked up into Trip's eyes. Yes. Trip had some glorious moments that even she, a Vulcan, was surprised by.

"I love you." Trip leaned forward and gently kissed her cheek. "Good-night."

Trip turned. He stopped, looking back when T'Pol grabbed his hand.

"Thank you for remembering," T'Pol said, and then smiled.

Trip smiled. He moved back to her, laying his hand on her neck. "I love that free sunshine."

Trip leaned down and kissed her lips. He smiled when he looked in her eyes, running his thumb across her lips. He let his fingers drift gently across her cheek and then left. T'Pol looked at her bracelet, watching the shards of red light the rubies cast on her skin. She turned and sat down in front of her monitor to return to reading letters.


End file.
